The Season of Sump
Ah, spring. That magical time when a young man’s fancy turns to love, the birds and the bees do their famous dance, and Mother Nature throws a wild, stormy, completely unpredictable fit. We all know that with the coming of April also come heavy rains, overflowing rivers, and flooded basements. What we don’t know, however, is when exactly all of that is going to happen. That’s the true pain of the season, but it doesn’t necessarily have to turn into a major pain in the butt. Like a good boy scout (and any good homeowner) would say, “Always be prepared.”
We can’t stress enough (seriously, look at the number of blogs we’ve written about this) how important it is to install and maintain a high-efficiency sump pump in your house. We’ve known far too many people, and we’re sure you have too, that kept putting off checking their sump pump to see if it was working properly over and over until it was too late. Sure, they found out the answer, but in the worst, most expensive way possible. Sump pump maintenance is easy, important, and there’s really no excuse not to do it.
Of course we’re here to help you out if there is an emergency, but hey, we like you, and we’d rather you kept your money in your pockets where it belongs instead of spending it on a flooded basement.
Here are a few easy tips to beat Mother Nature’s wrath:
–Test your sump pump now! Some manufacturers recommend testing your pump every two to three months, some recommend every year. No matter what the recommendation, there’s no reason not to double check ASAP before the rains really start coming in. Fill the sump pit with water to make sure it’s working properly. If you have a back up pump, check that out too.
–Replace the battery on the back-up pump if you haven’t done so in over two years. Even if there’s likely some juice still left in it, better safe than sorry, right?
–Get your sump pump cleaned by a professional (we know at least one who’d be happy to do the job). Running white vinegar through the system can help eliminate any small build-up, but it’s generally best to let the plumbers take care of anything else.
Don’t let spring (the season) spring (the verb) a huge bill on you, be prepared now and avoid disaster later!